The Nature of Consciousness And Time (Part 1)

How to truly uncover lasting happiness can seem like a lofty or impossible goal. But somehow, Rupert Spira makes it seem not just possible, but as clear as glacier water. This talk digs into non-duality, the nature of time, the beauty of simple awareness, and what all the great spiritual traditions of the world were pointing to. Rupert Spira is an English teacher of the 'direct path', a method of spiritual self-inquiry through talks and writing, and a notable English studio potter with work in public and private collections. Spira was deeply interested in the nature of reality from an early age. By age 17 he was studying meditation and practicing a classic Indian method of spiritual inquiry called Advaita Vedanta. He has studied with Dr. Francis Roles, Shantananda Saraswati, the Shankaracharya in, and is steeped in the wisdom of thinkers and mystics such as P. D. Ouspensky, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Rumi, Sri Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta, and Robert Adams.

An exploration of the nature of consciousness has the power to reveal the peace and happiness that truly lie at the heart of experience. Our experience never ceases to change, but the knowing element in all experience—consciousness, or what we call 'I'—itself never changes. The knowing with which all experience is known is always the same knowing. Being the common, unchanging element in all experience, consciousness does not share the qualities of any particular experience: it is not qualified, conditioned, or limited by experience. The knowing with which a feeling of loneliness or sorrow is known is the same knowing with which the thought of a friend, the sight of a sunset, or the taste of ice cream is known. Just as a screen is never disturbed by the action in a movie, so consciousness is never disturbed by experience; thus it is inherently peaceful. The peace that is inherent in us—indeed that is us—is not dependent on the situations or conditions we find ourselves in. Consciousness is the fundamental reality of the apparent duality of mind and matter. It shows that the overlooking or ignoring of this reality is the root cause of the existential unhappiness that pervades and motivates most people’s lives, as well as the wider conflicts that exist between communities and nations. Conversely, the recognition of the fundamental reality of consciousness is the first step in the quest for lasting happiness and the foundation for world peace.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/tPEt-1269Rg



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